Chapter Three

"There, I see them!" Rose cheered and urged her tauntaun on through the snow. Rey followed, although her mount was less than cooperative. The group had followed the scans provided by the snowspeeder team that had gone out just as the sun rose over the icy planet. The salvage team wasn't far behind, the Resistance's hope restored by the thought of having more firepower. Rose had taken charge of the mission, Rey once again lost in thought from Ben's visit the night before.

The pirate's scrapyard had been uncovered by the frigid Hoth winds. The Resistance needed all the luck they could get, and finally it seemed like luck was on their side. The scrapyard, long abandoned, still held a plethora of material, including several small fighters. The shells of five X-wings sat covered in a thin layer of ice, but relative intact.

With the whole remainder of the Resistance they were able to drag the X-wings and half a dozen loads of scrap and material back to Echo Base after chipping the ice holding them to the frozen ground. The Falcon was fully operational, and Chewie looked pleased to be working on something other than the old freighter for once. Sparks filled the air as torches cut pieces apart and welded them back together.

"Something wrong Rey?" Poe asked as the Resistance shared a meal in the mess hall.

"Fine," Rey lied. The pilot shrugged and went back to Finn, the two talking about how they could at least make a stand against the First Order while waiting for allies to arrive. The mood was much more optimistic than it had been in several days.

Rey smiled and excused herself to her room. While everyone else was happy with the progress they had made, the broken lightsaber, and now her broken staff, were a constant reminder of how far she still had to go. She sat at the table and waited for the air to still, for Ben to show up like he had been doing. The only thing she heard was the hum of the generators and the occasional muffled talking as people passed by her room.

Weary, Rey was almost ready to call it a night when the world around her went quiet. It was a silence she was beginning to welcome, the worries of the day washed from her mind as the bond her and Ben shared seem to take over. Ben stood in front of her, dressed in his normal black outfit, his back turned and he waved his hand dismissively. Rey frowned but realized he was dismissing someone else, someone she couldn't see. He stiffened as he felt her presence, spinning on his heels to face her.

"Ready?" She asked.

He looked almost confused.

"You said I needed a teacher," Rey couldn't stop the hint of sarcasm from infiltrating her tone as she motioned to the lightsaber pieces spread out on the table, "So, teach."

Ben stiffened and was about to say something, but thought better of it. He pulled his lightsaber from his belt, examining it and as a nervous flicker crossed through Rey's eyes as she watched him intently. For a moment she thought her jab had been too much, that she would be back at square one. She had to be patient, calm and understanding, like trying to tame a wild animal.

With a flick of his wrist Ben's lightsaber came apart, the sleek black handle reduced down to each component, "Constructing a lightsaber is far different than building a blaster or repairing a hyperdrive. It can take months of meditation to bring each piece together."

"I don't have that long," Mesmerized, Rey watched the parts of his lightsaber spin lazily on a horizontal axis. Her eyes drawn to the crimson Kyber crystal in the middle, a single fissure running along its length, a scar not unlike its user.

"You're lucky to have all the parts, mostly intact,"

Rey held back the urge to blame him for her weapon's condition, she was sure he would only blame her for turning against him. Their argument would only be counterproductive, "Can it be saved?" Rey asked. Ben blinked in confusion before she continued, "Luke's lightsaber?"

With another wave of his hand Ben's lightsaber came together and disappeared to his side, "I can't see it."

"How much can you see?" Rey asked.

"I can see you," Ben answered, again stepping closer until he was next to the table, standing over her. Rey felt a twinge of nervousness, but was determined not to let him see her uncomfortable. Standing toe to toe he was taller than her by at least a head, while she was sitting she felt even smaller. He seemed to sense her discomfort and sat across from her, his black tunic a stark contrast against the white walls of her room.

"Can you see the table?" She wondered.

"I can now," He said. Both could feel each others confusion, they weren't sure how this connection truly worked, what each could or could not see or feel, it was still such a new thing between them. They didn't think it was possible to do anything more than talk, but their touch in Ahch-To had shown them more was possible, and her last ditch effort grab for Ben's lightsaber made them question just how strong their bond was. Slowly he reached out with a gloved hand, running a single finger along one half of the split lightsaber hilt and frowning. He tried to touch the power vortex ring and his frown only deepened.

"Nothing?" Rey copied his frown, "Maybe without the gloves?"

Ben removed his gloves and tucked them into his belt, again trying to feel the hilt of the broken lightsaber and shaking his head, "Nothing."

Rey bit her bottom lip and put her hand on the table, turning her palm up, "Can you...can you feel me?"

She watched his eyes, they flickered up to meet hers.

Anticipation, worry, desire. His hand left the lightsaber and hovered over her palm, slightly shaking as his fingers brushed against her skin. Suddenly she could feel the warmth radiating from his body against the cold Hoth air, the smell of his leather arm guards. The very pulse beating through his body reverberated against her skin.

Ben shivered, from the chill surroundings, so different than his warm room on the Star Destroyer, or her touch he wasn't sure, "Rey-"

Her small smile stopped the words in his throat.

Seconds stretched into long minutes. It was like seeing each other for the first time all over again, each daring to break eye contact only long enough to memorize a feature of the other. The softness they shared, the feeling that the universe wasn't quite so big, wasn't quite so lonely. Vast expanses of space, cold and unforgiving, meant nothing in their presence. It was the same feeling they shared on Ahch-To, a quiet companionship than spanned across the galaxy. The warmth Rey had felt from Ben that night had convinced her that he was worth saving, she hoped she was still right.

Worry that in his quest to destroy the past would push him to do away everything good still left inside him was still a thought that haunted her, Rey pushed the idea to the back of her mind and broke from Ben's gaze despite his look that said he would have been happy to get lost in her eyes for the rest of the night. "So, what do you think?" Her voice was quiet, as if speaking to loud would break their connection and he would disappear.

Ben took a moment to look over every part before speaking, "The handle and components can be repaired but the Kyber..." He trailed off, his free hand hovering over the blue crystal. It hummed under his palm and quivered as if in afraid. Rey felt its fear as if it were her own, fear of corruption, of being broken and bent to a will not her own. Unconsciously she squeezed Ben's hand. He stiffened and pulled his hand away.

"What was that?" Rey swallowed the lump in her throat, unsure if she wanted the answer.

"Nothing," Ben tried to pull his other hand away from hers.

"You can tell me," Rey tightened her grip, wrapping her fingers around his wrist while demanding an answer with nothing more than a look and a word, "Ben."

"Kyber crystals are tuned into the Force, they can sense the Light and the Dark, and they fear the Dark," Ben tone had changed ever so slightly, disappointment laced his statement.

"Is...is that why yours is red?" Rey was curious.

Ben frowned, "I bled mine. It was blue until I poured every ounce of hate I held into it after my uncle betrayed me. It screamed in protest, cracked under the rage and finally submitted to me." His dark eyes bored into Rey's, watching for her reaction to his confession.

Rey stilled, knowing her next words could push him away, she couldn't lose Ben Solo to his dark past again. Carefully, as kindly and understanding as she could, "I can't begin to image what you were going through."

Ben's eyes softened, he had been expecting looks disgust, horror or contempt, like so many others had given him over the years. Even the first time he and Rey had communicated through the Force, her look of hatred was not one he would soon be forgetting. There was still a hint of disappointment in her eyes, hidden behind an inviting warmth that made him feel almost accepted and wanted.

She squeezed his arm gently, "Ben-"

"The Kyber, it will eventually shatter under the pressure, you'll need a new crystal," He cleared his throat.

Patience, if he wasn't ready to talk then she wouldn't force the issue. Rey asked, "I'm guessing those aren't exactly easy to come by?"

"A long time ago, before the First Order or even the Empire, younglings under the teaching of the Jedi Order would travel to Ilum for the Gathering – a rite of passage where they would find a Kyber crystal and construct their first lightsaber. It's a scared place for the Jedi." Ben explained, trying to best to temper any ill regard he held for Jedi way.

"Ilum? That's in the Unknown Region right?"

"It is, but the Empire mined the planet for Kyber crystals to power both Death Stars. Ilum is nothing more than a frozen wasteland," He frowned as Rey's face fell, "They're rare, but Kyber crystals can be found elsewhere in the galaxy. Focus on the now, and putting this one back together."

"How?" Rey asked.

"Close your eyes," Ben instructed. Rey did as asked and felt him move her hands over the broken lightsaber before removing his fingers from her wrists, "Reach out, feel the Force, what do you see?"

Rey took several deep inhales and exhales, each one bringing her centered and more in tune with the universe. A deep, low hum filled the air, for a moment she wasn't sure where it was coming from until she dared to open her eyes for just a moment. Ben sat across from her, his hands tightly clasped together in front of his center, deep in meditation. He looked so calm, so serene that she hardly recognized the man.

"I see you," Rey said.

Ben didn't open his eyes, only asked, "What else?"

She closed her eyes again and took another deep breath. Rey could feel energy surging from herself and Ben, and beyond the cold walls of her room, the energy coming from the band of Resistance fighters in the hangar busily working on repairing the X-wings found earlier, laughing and joking with each other. There was something else, through Ben she could feel the thousands of stormtroopers and officers aboard the Star Destroyer he was on, the atmosphere cold and military. Outside another storm raged, freezing flesh within minutes. A family of tauntauns huddled out of the storm, warm in each other's company.

Everything she felt was connected by the Force, and in front of her, Luke's lightsaber. Each piece wavered and then left the table, the jagged metal tear where it had split in two smoothing out. Just as Ben had done earlier with his own, each piece of the lightsaber in front of her floated and spun slowly. The Kyber crystal was the last to leave the table, the fragile blue shard fitting near the middle. Rey felt sweat start to bead on her forehead as she willed the lightsaber back together. Finally each component clicked, fitting together perfectly. Rey opened her eyes as the weapon continued to hover, just the slightest hint of the damage she and Ben had caused marred its silver surface.

She was almost lost for words as a wave of relief washed over her, the lightsaber falling neatly into her open palms. It felt normal in her hands, but not quite right, Rey guessed from the damaged Kyber crystal. She would have to be very careful using it, much as she wasn't looking forward to getting a blaster from the armory, she would still need one if the lightsaber was so unstable. Still, the sense of accomplishment gave her hope. She was excited to share what she had accomplished with Ben, an ecstatic smile on her face for the first time in a long time.

Ben was still sitting across from her, eyes closed. His face had changed from peaceful to furrowed concentration, his fingers twitching and every so often he would shake his head as if flinching from something painful. She felt him searching, reaching out with the Force to find something, find someone.

"Ben?" Rey asked softly, concerned.

"You're somewhere cold, very cold," He stated.

"Ben no," Rey's voice cracked and she shook his arm, hoping to break his focus as her stomach twisted in fear.

"Alzoc Three perhaps or...no, no, you're hiding elsewhere,"

"Ben please, please don't do this,"

Rey watched him as he slowly opened his eyes, his face blank except for the smallest of frowns. Her eyes pleaded with him through tears that threatened to spill over, begged him just as he had to her in the throne room. And just like she had, his words tore her heart apart.

"You're on Hoth."

Author Notes: Thanks to everyone for your continued support! Knowing that other people are enjoying what I'm writing makes me warm and fuzzy inside, which is very much needed as I'm pretty sure it's warmer on Hoth than it is here in Michigan!

I try to reply to reviews but I apologize if I missed any.

Thanks again for reading!